1. Field of the invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to converting a preference color and, more particularly, to converting a preference color by dividing the color space of a preference color selected by a user into a plurality of sub-regions according to color distribution characteristics, and converting the colors of the respective regions of an input image corresponding to the user's preference color into colors of proper sub-regions among the plurality of sub-regions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital imaging devices that reproduce colors, such as monitors, scanners, and printers, have diverse functions and high quality that meet various user requirements. Also, the digital imaging devices use different color spaces or different color models depending on their respective fields of use. Examples of the color models include a device dependent color model and a device independent color model. The device dependent color model includes an RGB color model corresponding to an additive color space model and a CMYK color model corresponding to a subtractive color space model. The device independent color model includes a CIE LAB model, a CIE XYZ model, and a CIE LUV model.
The CIE LAB model quantifies colors defined by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage on color space coordinates, and expresses the colors as numerical values of an L* (lightness), a* (red-green), and b* (yellow-blue) series. The CIE XYZ model represents RGB tristimulus values as XYZ, which is a set of other tristimulus values having positive signs. The CMYK color model is used in the field of printing, while the RGB color model is used in the field of computer monitor displays, such as Internet graphics.
The digital imaging device may output colors of an input image as they are, or convert specified colors among colors of an input image and output the converted colors of the input image. Accordingly, a user can view an image with the converted colors that are more natural.
General users' preference colors may include a skin color, a blue-sky color, and a green grass color. A related color conversion algorithm performs color conversion based on a single region that includes a user's preference color if the corresponding region is included in an input image.
That is, if two regions including a skin color that is a user's preference color exist in an image, the conventional color conversion algorithm performs a uniform color conversion on colors of the two corresponding regions.
As described above, the conventional algorithm can perform the uniform color conversion on the corresponding regions, but cannot perform color conversion in consideration of the color distribution characteristics of the respective regions.
Accordingly, a method that can perform color conversion by regions of an image in consideration of the color distribution characteristics of the respective regions is required.